Card handling machines are well known, particularly for use in feeding cards from a stack. Generally speaking, the mechanisms fall into two classes according to whether the cards are dispensed from the top or the bottom of a stack. In bottom faced dispensing arrangements which most closely relate to the instant invention, some type of motorized oscillating mechanism is provided for intermittently controlling the movement of the bottom card and/or the adjacent card to prevent the latter being entrained by the movement of the lowest card. Although reliable, these mechanisms are relatively slow and are more useful for feeding cards for printing operations or for dispensing a small number of cards. The mechanisms are usually complex and may add appreciably to the cost of the apparatus. Although the cost factor may not be a problem for large operations, for example those used for counting in excess of 50,000 cards/hour, there is a need for a fast, reliable, relatively low price apparatus for smaller operations.
Given that the cards being dispensed may be in the nature of lottery cards each having a significant value, there is a requirement for accuracy and reliability.
It is an object of this invention to provide a relatively high speed apparatus which is typically capable of counting and dispensing cards at a rate of up to 1000 cards/minute.
It is another object of this invention to provide such apparatus which is simple, reliable and uses few mechanically driven parts and which is of relatively low cost.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide such apparatus that counts and dispenses cards with accuracy.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention, apparatus for counting and dispensing cards from a stack of cards comprises feed means including a feed roll having an axis of rotation and a pair of nip rolls disposed forwardly thereof (the direction being taken relative to the direction of movement of the cards through the rolls) and a hopper disposed above the feed roll serving to orient the cards relative to the feed roll. The apparatus further comprises a gate which is suitably supported from the hopper, the gate having a progressively decreasing clearance from the peripheral surface of the feed roll in the forward direction, and means for adjusting the clearance between the gate and the feed roll.
Preferably, the hopper is adapted to feed the cards tangentially onto the feed roll, and still further it is preferred that the tangential point of contact between the cards and the feed roll be forward of the apogee of the feed roll. Accordingly, the cards will be somewhat downwardly inclined as they engage the feed roll. It is also preferred that the hopper be forwardly canted at or proximate the angle at which the cards are downwardly inclined.
The apparatus includes a chassis from which the rolls are supported. Conveniently, the gate is secured to the hopper, and the hopper is pivotally secured adjacent one lateral side thereof to the chassis, and means is provided for adjusting the angle at which the hopper is laterally inclined, so providing the gate clearance adjusting means.
Preferably, the gate is in the form of a doughnut like circular button having a rounded edge profile and a central axis through which the gate is mounted with its axis transverse to the axis of rotation of the feed roll. Also preferably, the gate is mounted whereby it is rotatable so as to compensate for wear.
The apparatus of the invention includes a drive means for driving the feed roll and the nip rolls, and suitably this will be arranged to drive the nip rolls at a higher peripheral speed than the feed roll. Accordingly, when a card is being moved under the influence of the nip rolls, it will advance more rapidly than an adjacent rearward card which is moving under the influence of the feed roll, and open a gap which facilitates the detection of the leading and trailing edges of cards by a photodetector, the signal from which is used for counting purposes. The gap also facilitates the collection of the cards in a collector bin. The cards are ejected more or less horizontally from the nip rolls at an appreciable velocity to impinge on an upstanding wall of the collector bin in which they are settled under the influence of a spring finger which is biased by the passage of a card through the nip rolls.
The invention will be described in relation to a preferred embodiment from which the foregoing objects and aspects, together with other objects and aspects will be apparent, taken in conjunction with the drawings annexed hereto.